This case concerns the bonus structure for a representative sales team. Pharma Talent, a contract sales company for pharmaceutical companies across Canada, promised its clients that its representatives would drive sales at a lower cost than what the client would incur if it had its own sales force. Historically, it had contracts with products that targeted physicians (e.g., prescription drugs or medical devices); however, a new contract in Ontario involved an over-the-counter (OTC) product. Pharma Talent currently had a pay-for-performance bonus structure that had already been revised three times. Nevertheless, due to the structure of the different territories in Ontario, many sales team members thought the bonus was unfair and very discouraging, while its pay-for-performance structure did not meet the clients’ needs.

It was summer of 2013, and the news of cyber-attacks and information security breaches was on the rise in India, as it was worldwide. Incidents such as the Axis bank’s cyber-crime incident and the news of the American National Security Agency’s global e-surveillance were creating consternation and dilemmas in the minds of information security consultants. One such consultant owned and operated an information security company, Percept Softech, a Lakshyaa Technology Lab’s Jaipur franchise. The consultant was bogged down by a number of problems and dilemmas. The first was his marketing and business growth strategy, which was not helping him in promotion of his business. Information security solutions, spying, vulnerability checks, key logging and allied propositions were difficult to promote. Managing young millennial talent was another major problem for him. Apart from the woes of business growth, inefficiency in promotion and talent issues, the consultant was now facing another dilemma. Should he start a new business away from the umbrella of the Lakshyaa Technology Lab? Should he partner with a detective agency? Or should he relocate from Jaipur to a more central location (such as New Delhi) where perhaps people would be more aware of the importance of cyber security and students would be more interested in pursuing cyber security training?

The case presents a review of the main facts related to the merger process experienced by three companies, Bancolombia, Conavi and Corfinsura, in the Colombian financial market during 2005 and 2006. The merger decision emerges from directors and senior executives visualizing an incoming significant market transformation – adjustment in industry regulation, improvement in international competence and consolidation of main players – and their further response in order to adapt to the new economic conditions. Considering the fact that the success rate of merger processes is not above 30 per cent, the sustained financial results achieved by Bancolombia from the very beginning of the integration process are robust indicators that invite exploration into what was done and how it was done.

Case Name : The Indian Greenpreneur: Management of Frenemy Talent and Coopetition

Authors : Jyotsna Bhatnagar, Neha Paliwal Sharma, Nakul Gupta

Source : Ivey Publishing

Case ID : W13372

Discipline : Organizational Behavior

Case Length : 08 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Description for case is given below :

During the 2013 Indian festival of colours, a young green entrepreneur and owner of Green Horizon Consulting (GHC) faced a plethora of business growth challenges. His former employee, who had quit GHC a while back to work for a major rival, wanted to return. However, the entrepreneur could not figure it out – would rehiring an ex-employee be a sound business decision? Should he take a risk and give the former employee another chance? If he did, he could look after GHC business in India, and be free to work on his plans to start a new venture in Dubai.But, his dilemma didn’t end there. Being the eldest son in his family, he realized that besides the aforementioned strategies, there was also the possibility of living and working with his joint family. His father was getting old and his younger brother had joined the family business; merging the two companies (his and his father’s) would allow both brothers to take care of the businesses and family between them. If that happened, he would no longer need his old frenemy. Even so, there was no doubt in his mind that relocating to Dubai would be a very lucrative move, especially as prospective clients in this region understood the language of green loud and clear. But, despite his excitement at the idea, he could not forget that there would still be all the usual (yet critical) business problems of low consumer awareness and the need to swiftly catch up to the existing competition. What other factors and options would he need to consider to keep his budding, eco-friendly company afloat and to successfully navigate the contemporary business world?

The human resources department at China Sunwah Bank had to decide on 22 new appointments – only 12 of which were officially advertised – to Sunwah Bank’s 28 branches. More than 4,000 applications had been received and the final list of candidates based on merit had been reduced to 48. The department members had spent many hours reading applications and conducting interviews; however, some members had been coping with specific endorsements for certain applicants from government officials, friends, former teachers and bank managers in a system known as “guanxi,” which was based on a reciprocal exchange of favours that bound individuals together. The challenge was how to choose the most qualified and talented recruits for the new positions at Sunwah Bank, keeping in mind the guanxi-based requests for favours from important stakeholders and friends – including some who had granted significant favours to Sunwah Bank executives in the past. The choice would require sensitivity and cultural awareness. Who would the department hire and why?

By 2013, the Indian Metal Company, headquartered in Metconagar in eastern India, had been a leading metallurgical company in India for 100 years. While it had ambitious expansion plans, both at home and abroad, it was bedeviled by an increasing attrition of professionals and difficulty in attracting candidates from premier educational institutions. This shortage of talent could jeopardize the company’s investments. The chief executive officer convened an urgent meeting of senior executives to discuss the problem and explore possible solutions. The meeting ended in a confusing barrage of views and counterviews. A committee was appointed to synthesize the competing views and prepare a master plan for talent management. It began its work by reviewing past data related to attrition and holding discussions with small groups of young professionals. The time had now come to prepare its report and recommendations.

Case Name : Governance and Talent Management in a Professional Services Firm

Authors : Yuliya V. Ivanova, Joan Winn

Source : North American Case Research Association (NACRA)

Case ID : NA0044

Discipline : Human Resource Management

Case Length : 14 pages

Solution sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Description for case is given below :

The Academy for Professional Development (APD) was launched in 1993, shortly after Perestroika and the turbulent time of Soviet disintegration. With the support of the Soros Foundation and a local Ministry of Privatization, APD became the most prestigious professional business education and consulting firm in the country. Assembling and training a “team of talents” is always difficult, more so in this case because of the nature of local business practices, the proliferation of professional service firms competing for business and state-director clientele, and the lure of opportunities in more stable environments. As APD gained experience in business education and consulting, different directors implemented new programs and brought different styles of management. As the organization experiences turnover of its professional staff, its founder and Chairman of the Board is concerned about the role he should take as the organization matures.